How difficult is it to be 40+ in 3 games in the Finals? Only 7 players in NBA history, James ranked second in 8 times

As we all know, every time the NBA arrives in the playoffs, the defensive intensity of the game will be significantly improved. In this case, it is obviously not easy to score high points, so it is difficult to get 40 points in a single game in the playoffs, not to mention that it is still in the finals. Looking at the history of the NBA, there are only 30 players who have won 40+ games in the finals, and among them, the strongest players such as Kobe and Durant, have only performed 40+ games in the finals in one game. Then we will take a look at who they are!

7. Antetokounmpo (3 times)

Antetokounmpo was on the list. You should know that he has reached the finals once in the past few years, and that round of the series he lived up to expectations and showed the strongest form in his career. At that time, facing the Suns losing G1, Antetokounmpo ushered in a big explosion in the second game. He made 15 of 22 shots and scored 42 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. Unfortunately, the Bucks still failed to win in this game, and they also fell into a situation of 0-2 behind.

Fortunately, since G3, the Bucks have regained the direction of the series. G3 relied on Antetokounmpo's performance of 41 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists in a single game, and then they won two games in a row and directly got the match point. In the last game, the Bucks were at home. When they were only one step away from the championship, Antetokounmpo played the strongest game of his career. He scored 50 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks with a shooting percentage of 64%, and dominated the game on both offense and defense. In the end, he not only won the championship, but also was elected as FMVP with a data average of 35+13+5 in the series.

6. Rick Barry (3 times)

Rick Barry, his three 40+ also came from the finals of the same year. It was in 1967, when Rick Barry, who was also a sophomore rookie in the NBA, led the Warriors to the Finals. Faced with the Philadelphia 76ers led by Chamberlain, Rick Barry could be said to have done his best, but in the first two games he scored 67 points, 18 rebounds and 8 assists, he failed to help the team win a victory.

In G3, Rick Barry once again burst out and gave a glimmer of hope for the team. In this game, he made 48 crazy moves and contributed 55 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. With this, the Warriors finally won the first victory in the finals. In the next three games, Rick Barry's personal data were 43+7+3, 36+10, and 44+6 respectively, but the team was eliminated by losing to the opponent with a big score of 2-4. Fortunately, in the later stages of his career, Rick Barry won a championship in 1975 and he was also elected as FMVP.

5. Elgin Baylor (4 times)

Baylor is one of the most tragic superstars in NBA history. He has been selected for the Best Team in his career and averaged 30+15 per game in many seasons during his peak period. Under Baylor's leadership, the team has also reached the Finals many times. However, every time they can only watch their opponents defeat themselves and successfully win the cup. When Baylor couldn't play, he retired early due to injury, the team won the championship in the end that season.

However, in Baylor's finals career, he had a clear conscience. He tried his best to leave no regrets in every final. Because of this, Baylor played many very luxurious data in the finals, including 40+ games in a single game. In the 1962 finals, he scored a record of 61 points in a single game, and no one can surpass this record until now.

4. O'Neal (5 times)

At his peak, O'Neal was undoubtedly one of the most dominant stars in league history. With the establishment of a team around him, the Lakers also successfully won three consecutive championships in the early 21st century. During that period, O'Neal also played the only league's first-person performance. In the 2000 Finals against the Pacers, O'Neal averaged 38+15 data per game. He also scored 40+10 data in three games in this series, among which G2 even scored 40 points and 24 rebounds in a super-large double-double.

In the 2001 and 2002 finals, although O'Neal's personal performance declined compared to 2000, his opponent was still at a loss with his performance. Therefore, the Lakers lost one game in the last two years, and in those two rounds of the series, O'Neal also got at least 40+10 data in one game.

3.Jordan (6 times)

As the greatest scorer in NBA history, Jordan often plays stronger the key game, so his average score per game in the playoffs is also obviously unnecessary. In the finals, Jordan's performance has never disappointed. In 1991, he averaged 30+10 per game against the Lakers for the first time in the finals. Later, in the 1993 finals, Jordan averaged 41 points per game. During the period, G4's 55 points in a single game also set his personal record.

Later, Jordan retired once, but after his comeback, he quickly led the Bulls to his peak. In 1996, 1997 and 1998, he also won three consecutive championships. During this period, except for facing the Supersonics in 1996, his average score per game was above 30 points in the remaining two years of the finals. In the finals of the 1998 career finals, Jordan even helped the team defeat his opponent again with his 45 points and a winning goal in a single game. This also brought a perfect end to his finals..

2. James (8 times)

In the early days of his career, James obviously had obvious shortcomings in his playing style, so in the 2007 and 2011 finals, his personal performance was seriously unsatisfactory because he was targeted by his opponents in defense. However, since 2012, James has rarely performed abnormally in the finals. He not only led the team to reach more finals, but also won multiple championship rings. In the 2016 finals, James scored 41+10 in two consecutive games to help the team reach the tiebreak, which is one of the strongest personal performances in history.

And many times, even if James failed to win the finals, his personal performance was still very impressive. For example, in the 2018 finals, the Cavaliers were swept by the Warriors in that round of the series. However, James scored 51+8+8 in a single game and forced the Warriors to the final performance for a while, and even won the recognition of many "black fans". Later, after James joined the Lakers, he won another championship in 2020. Although he was 35 years old in the finals this year, he also scored 40+13 in G5 with a shooting percentage of 71.4%.

1.Jerry West (10 times)

As a teammate of Elgin Baylor, Jerry West also fell in the finals many times in his career. During this period, his personal performance has always been very outstanding. Before 1969, he scored 40+ in the finals 6 times. In the 1969 Finals series against the Celtics, West, who was very eager to win, used his strength to do so. He scored 40+ in four games in this series, of which the tiebreak was a super large triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. However, even so, he failed to lead the team to win the championship. The only comfort was that he became the only loser in NBA history. In addition, luckier than Baylor, West helped the Lakers win the championship after playing 1972, which also fulfilled his regret.